Adjustable waistband for garments



1966 R. F. ANDERSON ADJUSTABLE WAISTBAND FOR GARMENTS Filed Aug. 19, 1964 IN VE NTOR.

United States Patent 1 3,292,184 ADJUSTABLE WAISTBAND FOR GARMENTS Robert F. Anderson, 825 Wisconsin Ave., Racine, Wis. Filed Aug. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 390,663 1 Claim. (Cl. 2221) This invention relates to garments such as trousers and skirts, and especially to the waistbands of such garments.

Men and women occasionally find that their waist-line measurements vary so that their present trousers or skirts are either too tight or too loose at the waist. If the waistband is too tight there is no means of adjustment, and if too loose there will be unsightly folds at various points along the waistband caused by the usual belt, if one is used.

An object, therefore, of this invention is to provide a waistband for trousers and similar garments that will permit compensation for variations in waist-line measurements.

Another object is to generally improve the waistband construction of trousers and skirts.

Another object is to confine any puckering of the waistband, owing to adjustments, to inconspicuous portions of the garment.

Another object is to permit a reduction in the stock carried by a dealer, by reducing the number of waist-sizes needed.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a fragmentary upper portion of a pair of trousers or a skirt showing the preferred construction of the waistband of the invention, with the elements adjusted as when being worn.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentray view of the front of the waistband of FIG. 1, with some portions unfastened in order to better show details.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the left side of FIG. 1 when the fastening means is released.

FIG. 4 is a section taken at 4-4 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a section taken at 55 of FIG. 3.

Referring again to the drawing.

This invention is embodied in a pair of trousers or a skirt having a continuous peripheral body portion 10, the right and left sides thereof being indicated R and L. Body has an opening at the front thereof and designated 12, and defined by overlapping flaps 14 and 16. A button 18 is secured to flap 16, as in FIG. 2, and the customary button hole is provided in flap 14 to receive the button 18, but is not shown.

A waistband generally designated 20 comprises a belt portion 22 which extends peripherally about the rear 23 of the body 10 and forwardly in overlapping tongues 24 and 26. Tongue 24 terminates in an end 28 and tongue 26 terminates in an end 30.

Belt portion 22 is secured to the rear portion of the upper edge of body 10 by a stitch 32. Stitch 32 terminates at opposed points 34 and 36, at which points belt 22 is reduced in width to form tongues 24 and 26,- and which tongues are free of body 10 from points 34 and 36 forwardly.

A pair of sleeves 38 and 40 are stitched to the front portion of body 10 as at 42, and are spaced peripherally from points 34 and 36, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Sleeves 38 and 40 have passageways such as 43, shown in FIG. 5, that will permit free sliding passage of tongues 24 and 26, therethough. Sleeves 38 and 40 terminate in ends 44 and 46, defining a peripheral gap as at 48.

One or more snap-buttons 50 are secured to tongue 24 3,292,184 Patented Dec. 20, 1966 "ice so as to be exposed within gap 48. One or more corresponding snap-button caps 52, only one being shown, are secured to tongue 26 and positioned to selectively engage one of the snap buttons 50, when the desired adjustment has been obtained. This adjustment is made when the garment is on the wearer, by increasing or de creasing the overlap of tongues 24 and 26, and engaging the nearest snap-button 50 with the snap-button cap 52.

Provision is made for reducing the waist of the garment by providing gaps 54 and 56. When the overlap of tongues 24 and 26 is increased by drawing them through sleeves 38 and 40, the edges 58 and 60 of body 10 will pucker as shown at 62 and 64, thus drawing points or ends 34 and 36 peripherally toward sleeves 38 and 40, tending to reduce the peripheral length of gaps 54 and 60, as shown in FIG. 1. Cap 52 is then engaged with the nearest snap-button 50, thus retaining the adjustment.

This invention permits one size of garment to serve for several sizes, thus reducing the number of garments required to be stocked by a dealer. This invention also permits the wearer to easily compensate for changes in waist-measurement changes.

The above being a complete description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An adjustable band in a garment having a body portion, said garment comprising a rear portion and a front portion including an opening, said body portion terminating in a continuous upper peripheral edge extending around said body portion and terminating adjacent said opening, said band comprising in combination a belt of a continuous length of material extending about said peripheral edge, said belt being folded longitudinally to have an inner and an outer layer defining a space there between, said rear portion of said peripheral edge being positioned in said space intermediate said layers, means securing said layers to said rear portion of the peripheral edge, said belt terminating forwardly at both ends in tongues mutually overlapping at said front portion, said tongues being free of said peripheral edge forwardly from opposed points on said edge, a pair of sleeves, means securing each of said sleeves to substantially the entire peripheral edge of said front portion, one of said sleeves freely surrounding each of said tongues, each of said sleeves defining a peripheral gap therebetween and terminating at a position spaced peripherally and forwardly from said points, and mutual means to secure said tongue together in said overlapped relationship within said gap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

